A Japanese governor says he will ask for the military to help cull bears to protect locals amid a wave of attacks.

Government statistics state that at least nine people have been killed by bears in Japan since April this year, an annual record.

Dozens of other injuries have been reported across the country.

In the past week, Japanese media has reported a number of bear attacks, including people exercising in urban areas of Akita Prefecture, a northern mountainous area.

Another bear attacked four people before being found in a nearby house. None of the victims were seriously injured.

There has been some 8,000 bear sightings in Akita this year, a roughly six-fold increase on last year.

Akita Governor Kenta Suzuki took to social media on Sunday to discuss his plan, which he said would i

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